Pokémon Champions does something the mainline games never did: instead of handing you a Grass, Fire, or Water type and sending you on your way, it drops 10 fully evolved, battle-ready Pokémon in front of you and says pick one. That choice locks in your entire starting squad of 6, which means your first few hours play out very differently depending on who you grab. Here's everything you need to know to make the right call.
All starter options in Pokémon Champions
You unlock your first draw immediately after completing the introductory battle mission. The full list of 10 available starter mon, along with their types, is below.
You are not just choosing a single mon here. Each starter comes with a fixed team of 5 additional Pokémon. That team composition matters as much as the starter itself.
What's the best starter in Pokémon Champions for new players?
Three picks stand above the rest for players who want strong early performance without a steep learning curve. Here is how they break down.
Starter selection screen
Gardevoir
Gardevoir is the most consistently recommended starter across sources, and after running it through early matches, it is easy to see why. Its Psychic / Fairy dual typing hits a wide range of weaknesses, and its starting moveset covers four different elemental types, meaning you can exploit whatever the opponent throws at you right away. The high Speed stat means Gardevoir almost always moves first, which keeps fights short and damage taken low.
The team it comes with reinforces this tempo-forward style. Heracross, Corviknight, and Azumarill fill physical and defensive gaps that Gardevoir leaves open, giving you a squad that feels complete from the first battle.
Gardevoir's four-type coverage
Tyranitar
Tyranitar is slower out of the gate but arguably the strongest option once you understand it. Its Sand Stream ability activates sandstorm automatically at the start of battle, which chips down opponents over time and creates passive pressure without spending a move. Its starting coverage includes Rock, Dark, Dragon, and Fire-type moves, which is one of the widest offensive spreads of any starter.
The team it brings, featuring Arcanine (with Intimidate), Sylveon, and Aggron, is particularly well-suited to Double Battles, where board control matters more than raw speed. PlayerAuctions specifically calls the Tyranitar team the top choice for doubles formats.
If you are planning to play Double Battles competitively, Tyranitar is the pick. Arcanine's Intimidate paired with Sand Stream gives you immediate field control that most early opponents cannot answer.
Charizard
Charizard sits between Gardevoir and Tyranitar in terms of playstyle demand. Its Blaze ability and early access to Dragon-type coverage moves give it offensive tools that most early-game opponents cannot match. Speed is strong, and its Attack stat complements that well. The tradeoff, as GamerBlurb notes, is that Charizard is less forgiving when things go wrong. You need to stay ahead, because falling behind is harder to recover from with this team.
For players who want to apply pressure from the first turn and do not mind a slightly higher-risk playstyle, Charizard delivers.
What about the other starters?
Snorlax is the safest pick in the pool. It is slow and does not hit hard early, but it absorbs punishment and lets you recover from mistakes that would end a run with faster, frailer mon. GamerBlurb describes it as the easiest team to manage if optimization is not your priority.
Pikachu is an interesting case. The mon itself is not among the stronger individual starters, Pikachu comes with arguably the best supporting squad. Garchomp, Kingambit, Gyarados with Intimidate, and Azumarill with Huge Power form a physically dominant lineup that can steamroll Singles formats. If the team matters more to you than the lead mon, Pikachu is a legitimate choice.
Do not judge Pikachu's value by its individual stats. The team it unlocks, with Garchomp and Kingambit, is one of the strongest in Singles play according to PlayerAuctions' competitive breakdown.
Lucario, Gardevoir aside, Absol, Altaria, Armarouge, and Palafin all work. None are traps. Palafin in particular has a unique mechanic where switching it out and back in during a match activates its Hero Form, which PlayerAuctions notes is a high-reward strategy for tactical players who enjoy that kind of setup.
Best starters for competitive play
Singles battles
For 1v1 Singles formats, the Pikachu and Palafin teams are the standout picks according to PlayerAuctions.
- Pikachu team: Physical offense built around Garchomp and Huge Power Azumarill. Gyarados provides Intimidate for defensive utility, and Kingambit acts as a late-game finisher.
- Palafin team: Special damage focus using Gengar and Hydreigon to bypass physical defense drops. Rewards players who can manage the Hero Form switch timing.
Doubles battles
Tyranitar is the clear top choice here. Sand Stream plus Arcanine's Intimidate means you are applying two layers of passive pressure from turn one. Sylveon's AoE damage rounds out a team designed specifically to handle multiple targets at once.
The competitive meta for Pokémon Champions is still forming. These recommendations reflect early-game and format-specific analysis from current sources, but rankings may shift as players develop new strategies.
Which starter should you actually pick?
For most players, Gardevoir is the answer. It performs well immediately, does not require format-specific knowledge to use effectively, and its team holds up across both casual and early competitive play. The four-type move coverage means you are never stuck in a bad matchup without options.
If you are going straight into competitive Singles, consider Pikachu for the team it unlocks. If Doubles is your format, Tyranitar is the correct call.
For more Pokémon Champions tips and other game guides, browse the full guides library at GAMES.GG.